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Retired Niagara District Catholic School Board principal and superintendent Mario Ciccarelli stands with his daughter, Jenna, in front of the new restaurant they will manage in St. Catharines. Ciccarelli spent 31 years as an educator before deciding to own his own business.
MATT DAY Niagara Falls Review

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Sabrina Cardamone thought once she graduated from Saint Paul High School she wouldn’t be under the watchful eye of principal Mario Ciccarelli anymore.

Fast forward a few years and the situation has resurfaced, only this time the setting is different — a kitchen replaces the principal’s office and tables are for eating, not for solving math problems.

Ciccarelli, a 31-year employee of the Niagara Catholic District School Board, retired Aug. 30 and within a month the former principal and superintendent of education will be opening his own gourmet hamburger restaurant, The Works, in St. Catharines.

“I did not expect this,” said Cardamone, who will be a server at the new restaurant on James St. to help pay for university tuition.

“Retirement lasted about a week,” said Ciccarelli with a laugh. “I was here taking care of business. It’s exciting though.”

Ciccarelli is well known throughout Niagara Falls for his roles as principal at Saint Paul High School and, later, Saint Michael high school. He held those positions for a combined 13 years before being named the superintendent of education in 2011.

At 55, he said he decided to revert to his family’s business-oriented background and invested in opening up his own restaurant within The Works franchise.

He was retained by the school board on a contractual basis until the end of October to help with the transition.

“I just wanted a turn, a change. I’ve been in education all my life and it was the right time to do it,” he said. “The (school board) was so good about this and I’m going to miss a lot of the people and the kids I taught there.”

He’s not the only one in the family joining him in the venture — and not the only one to drastically change a career path.

Ciccarelli’s 26-year-old daughter, Jenna, left her job of four years with the federal government to come back to Niagara and serve as the restaurant’s general manager.

“I have that business mentality too, and we always wanted to open up some type of business,” she said. “This was right up our alley.”

The family owns the rights to a future Niagara Falls The Works restaurant as well, but Ciccarelli said his focus right now is making the St. Catharines location thrive.

“Whenever we want a spot, we’ll get down there,” he said, mentioning a location near Clifton Hill and Victoria Ave. would be ideal.

The Works specializes in gourmet burgers made from natural ingredients, prepared in house. They feature more than 70 variations of the classic burger, including vegan and vegetarian alternatives.

The restaurant will employ 40 people and Ciccarelli said he feels his time spent as an educator has prepared him for the road ahead.

“I think your character carries over no matter what you do. I’ve been the boss in the classroom and now it’s time to be the boss in the restaurant.”

An unofficial opening is scheduled for Sept. 12 where patrons will receive their meals for free. All that is being asked in return is a donation to St. Catharines Community Care.

PORTRAIT FOR YOUR PORTFOLIO

A professional portrait to go along with your resume might help you stand out from the rest, especially if you’re applying for a highly contested job.

Baldini and Vandersluys photographers are offering the unemployed the opportunity to have a business headshot taken free at their studio at 7973 Lundy’s Lane between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sept. 22.

“When you’re doing social networking, if there’s a photo to go along with your profile you always feel like you know the person more,” said co-owner Jacqueline Baldini.

She suggested people who plan to attend should wear a solid colour shirt, blouse or jacket. No appointment is needed and the only qualification is you must be unemployed.

“We don’t even need your name, just an e-mail to send the image to,” she said.

Baldini said her business offering the service to help give back to the community they are in.

Send us your tips. Does your business have some news it would like to pass along to our readers? Send your tips to matt.day@sunmedia.ca or drop me a line at 905-358-5711, ext. 1155. You can also send me a message on Twitter @Matt_Review